Resident fatally stabbed; five suspected members of outlaw biker gang in custody

GUSTINE – A 33-year-old Gustine man was fatally stabbed in a busy downtown bar late Friday night after being attacked by a group of assailants who investigators believe may have ties to an outlaw biker gang.

The victim was identified as Bill James Jr.

Officers responding to a report of a fight in progress at the Gustine Club shortly before 11:30 p.m. found the victim laying mortally wounded in the street. James was taken to Los Banos Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detective from the Merced Sheriff’s Office Major Crime’s Division have released the names of four suspects held in connection with the murder of Bill James. The fifth suspect was released due to lack of evidence at this point, to warrant his continued incarceration.

The other four suspects are being held on charges of murder, participating in a criminal street gang and accessory to murder. Detectives are in route to southern California at this time to conduct follow up investigation into the case and also follow leads on several more suspects.

The suspects arrested were: Ruben Silva, 22; David Silva, 23; Mark Oseguera, 24; and Richard Naudin, 30, all out of southern California.

Investigators are still trying to piece together details of the deadly attack.

“It appears that eight to 10 men, possibly members of an outlaw motorcycle gang, entered the bar and confronted the victim,” said Deputy Tom MacKenzie, a spokesman for the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, which took over the investigation Saturday at the request of the Gustine Police Department.

During the fight, one of the men sprayed the bar with a can of either mace or pepper spray to clear the room, and once the bar was empty of patrons they began stabbing James repeatedly. The fight spilled out onto the street, where the victim was again stabbed and collapsed.

Twenty or more people were reportedly in the bar when the attack occurred.

Authorities do not believe anybody other than James fought with the suspects.

He said authorities had not determined what provoked the attack, or if the victim was specifically targeted.

“We don’t know the circumstances leading up to it. We don’t know if words were exchanged, if it was premeditated or spontaneous,” MacKenzie commented Monday. “There is no indication that the victim was affiliated with any kind of rival motorcycle gang, but he does have a criminal history.”

James was recently discharged from parole for assault with a deadly weapon, he added.

Authorities are not identifying the biker gang believed to be involved.

A biker rally was held in the Santa Nella area over the weekend, MacKenzie confirmed, but investigators have not determined if the rally and the homicide were linked.

On Saturday night, sheriff’s detectives and about 50 officers from surrounding departments went to the rally, where about 150 members, associates and guests of the motorcycle gang were gathered.

MacKenzie said Tuesday he did not know if the men in custody had been at the rally.

The suspects will be extradited back to Merced County for arraignment sometime next week.

The homicide was the second this year in Gustine.

Gustine police were assisted in the initial investigation by officers from the Newman Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

Gustine turned the investigation over to the Sheriff’s Department because of the additional resources the county agency has available to investigate the case, said Jeff Schindler, interim chief in Gustine.

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